Review: The CRUX Fly Rod from Redington

Many years ago I worked for a big general outdoors store in Denver. Having come from a fly shop that had a very narrow view of who made the best rods, I didn’t pay much attention to the fact that the new employer was a Redington dealer. (Note: The fly shop truly stated when I was there that there was only one good rod company. Seriously.) So when a customer wanted to cast a seven-piece mid-priced Redington trout rod that I had simply seen as a gimmick, I took him to the casting area along with the rod and very little enthusiasm. To this day, I can only image what the customer was thinking as I became excited and enamored with the rod and how much I liked it.

From that point on, I was a Redington convert, and over the years, there have been many Redington rods that have impressed me. However, with the new Redington CRUX, something is different. It’s almost like that first Redington encounter where I am far more impressed than I could’ve imagined.

The CRUX is a fast action rod that is described as having an “all new Line Speed Taper, for confident short to mid-range delivery of flies and effortless extreme distance casting.” Generally not willing to get excited about new technology or design until I see what it really translates to on the water, I took note of this feature before heading to the Truckee River in Northern California. When I arrived to the river, I rigged the CRUX with a Redington RISE reel and RIO PERCEPTION line. However, not planning to spend too much time with this setup, I also rigged up my go-to trout rod and reel. But to my surprise, I ended up sticking with the CRUX all weekend.

The Redington CRUX is phenomenal. Within minutes I fell in love with the CRUX and enjoyed casting small dries at short distance and heavier nymph rigs across the river. Mending came with ease, and in every possible scenario, I simply loved fishing with this rod. “Effortless” truly describes casting and fishing with this rod.

Armed with a 9-foot 4-weight CRUX, I was mesmerized with several aspects of this rod. First, the CRUX feels very lightweight in hand. I had plenty of feel for a fast action rod, even with the dries at short distance, yet on-the-water performance benefited from the fact that the rod remains a strong and powerful tool. The thin diameter of the blank seems to truly enhance feel while the stiffer tip enabled power and accuracy. The CRUX tracks very well, and I couldn’t have been more impressed with how consistently I accurately delivered my flies to the target.

Beyond the performance, the CRUX is a great-looking rod. With a “metallic olive matte finish,” the rod has a nice aesthetic, and though it took some getting used to, having hook keepers on the reel seat makes way more sense than having it on the blank. Smart.

I’ve been reviewing Redington products for many years, and I have to say that this is the most impressive rod they’ve ever made — at least in my book. Redington should be commended for masterful rod design and a rod that takes them to a whole new level.

The Redington CRUX comes in 14 different models — from a 7’6″ 3-weight to a 9-foot 10-weight. Impressively, the CRUX is priced at only $399.99 and includes a lifetime warranty. I strongly recommend checking out this rod!

To learn more about the Redington CRUX, please click here.

– Tim Harden

–

Disclosure: Redington is in a professional relationship with the Venturing Angler. Though potentially benefiting from this relationship, we do not post what we do not believe to be true. To read more, click here.